The fate of the man who murdered his wife in front of his kids after she asked for divorce has been decided.
A Georgia man, Jonathan Bates, has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his wife in front of their two young children... Continue reading here ▶
The incident happened in 2017, but Bates managed to avoid being caught for 18 months before he was finally arrested.
According to court records, Bates, now 45, was sentenced this week in Paulding County. He was found guilty of pushing his wife, Cynthia, during an argument, causing her to fall backward and hit her head on the edge of a couch.
The day before the tragedy, Cynthia had reportedly told Bates she wanted a divorce.
Initially, Paulding County Chief Judge Tony Beavers dismissed the murder charge, reducing it to battery. However, Bates skipped his 2022 court hearing and went on the run, extending the case for years.
Cynthia’s family was outraged by the judge’s decision to drop the murder charge and started an online petition that gained over 11,600 signatures, demanding the judge be removed.
Eventually, a grand jury reinstated the murder charge, and Judge Beavers stepped away from the case after it was revealed he had personal ties to Bates’ family.
In addition to being convicted of murder, Bates was also found guilty of aggravated assault and child cruelty. His life sentence includes the possibility of parole.
At the time of the incident, Bates’ children, who were just 4 and 7 years old, witnessed their mother’s death. They ran to a neighbor’s house for help. Reflecting on the family’s loss, Cynthia’s sister, Sandy Dement, shared in a 2017 interview, “Her kids are lost without her. Her family is lost without her. We don’t get to talk to her anymore.”
